Long Lake vs Rice Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake and Rice Lake both received the same overall water quality grade of D (Poor). Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
D
Long Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
D
Rice Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | Rice Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 2.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 57.5 µg/L | 49 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 35 ft | 41 ft |
| Surface Area | 487.12 acres | 1.5K acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 23 | 21 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade D. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Long Lake: 2.5 ft, Rice Lake: 2.6 ft) and what you want from the lake. Long Lake supports more documented fish species.